Well, my shooting form (I wish I could post it but my laptop is broken) has been revamped countless times over the years. If I had to choose an NBA player, GOATbrook would be the one who with a similar form. I'm a very good midrange shooter but streaky as hell from deep. My problem is that whenever I pullup, my right hand (I shoot right) feels uncomfortable as hell and it skews with my release and form 80% of the time. It looks ugly as hell and also I don't know how to best use my feet when pulling up. Any tips?

PS: What's weird is that I'm better shooting fadeaways off the dribble to the left or right (not straight backwards) than pull up jumpers. I'm actually pretty consistent with that baseline fade, it's just that the pullup is so much more applicable in game situations and a lot more unpredictable also. When I dribble to the side of either baseline without the basket in my direction, what I'm going to do becomess fairly obvious lol and due to my height (6'1) easily blockable.

Well, my shooting form (I wish I could post it but my laptop is broken) has been revamped countless times over the years. If I had to choose an NBA player, GOATbrook would be the one who with a similar form. I'm a very good midrange shooter but streaky as hell from deep. My problem is that whenever I pullup, my right hand (I shoot right) feels uncomfortable as hell and it skews with my release and form 80% of the time. It looks ugly as hell and also I don't know how to best use my feet when pulling up. Any tips?

PS: What's weird is that I'm better shooting fadeaways off the dribble to the left or right (not straight backwards) than pull up jumpers. I'm actually pretty consistent with that baseline fade, it's just that the pullup is so much more applicable in game situations and a lot more unpredictable also. When I dribble to the side of either baseline without the basket in my direction, what I'm going to do becomess fairly obvious lol and due to my height (6'1) easily blockable.

You mean pulling up while dribbling left and right? Or pulling up on a fast break around the free throw line? Or pulling up from three? All three require different mechanics.

It's tough to say what's going on without having a video example. It could be a lot of things. I know for me, sometimes my normal form is compromised the deeper I step out. This especially happens when I fall into a rut of taking "morning shootaround" jumpers (aka not elevating much) instead of full effort ones.

Again, it's tough to say without seeing, but could it be possible you're not deriving enough power and energy from your legs on those deep shots? I'm not a mega leaper on my J's, but I still must bend my knees and explode in order to create an effortless propulsion. Elsewise, I begin to subconsciously compensate on those long range shots by pushing more with my arms, which then once again compromises my form.

One drill I run myself through from time to time, just as a reminder and refresher as to what the roles of my hands are during my shot - I'll take my left hand (my off hand) and completely straighten it, as if I were preparing to karate chop someone. I'll then take a number of jump shots while keeping my left hand like that the entire time. This will still allow your off hand to help balance the ball (using your lefty palm), but with no lefty fingers on the ball anywhere, your right arm has no choice but to keep inward and push through correctly.

Sometimes, the deeper we're shooting from, the more likely that left hand wants to weasel its way in on the launch process somehow, which then allows the right hand to alter its job, which then leads to a lot more calculations and a less consistent result.

So for now, I guess that's it. Check your legs (are you low and square) and check your hands (is your lefty truly just being used as a means of keeping the ball on its launch pad)?

I run a drill that I got from my Sr year HS coach, where you dribble a couple cones, then shoot a pull going toward the middle, and another toward the block.

But the focul point is the feet in the pull up. We always really sort of jam that lead foot, right if you're going right, and left if you're going left, into the court. I was taught to pick that leg up back at the knee, and really kick it into the court to make the sqeak noise, and that will help you transfer that forward or sideways even momentum into vertical, and let you get up square to release.

For full disclosure, I hated this ****ing drill. It looks silly for one. But over time I found it actually helped a lot.

One of my other issues with it is that generally, I don't think it's a great shot. I hate, absolutely hate, the pull up on the fast break. I'd rather my kids get a charge called on them. My belief is to push it to the basket until you get a layup, get fouled, or get someone else a layup. And if you're genuinely cut off with legal contact, roll the dribble out and reset. But to me that pull up can be gotten within the offense without using up a break opportunity on it.

And you're seeing this born out with a lot of the NBA metrics these days. Everyone wants shots in the paint, and shots from the corner threes. Defenses are playing guys into these shots because they're the least yield. Of course that raises the question of what happens if someone can turn that shot into a strength, then what. But either way, it's not my favorite shot. I'm more comfortable with floaters or strange released layups, and sort of strafing through a defense to get them. And frankly my favorite thing about a pull up is that if I hit one or two, I can use that chop step as something of a shot fake from then on.

Those drills sound interesting. I'll try 'em out. Yeah, what I meant by skewing with my release is this:

- My shot is like Russ's, high above the head and I release it near the peak of my jump (which is quite high since I'm athletic)

- When I pull-up off the dribble, my arms only go slightly above my chest around the head area for the relase, and I almost always rush the release unless I do the movements in slow mo

- The rushed release has no follow through

- When going for the pull-up, I don't know how to position my feet beforehand (because atm it feels awkward) and I sometimes even travel lol

^Those are my problems. I'd just like an outline of the mechanics as far as feet and shot release go.

When pulling up straight up try to emulate Carmelo. He's got a lightning quick pull up. You're going to want to set your feet rather quickly and then getting your hands set on the ball where you normally have them placed for a shot. IMO this is the second hardest part, the first being finding the balance you need while in motion. You'll have to practice picking up your dribble into your shot motion while standing still over and over and then you're going to have to practice while running full speed.

For the pull up's while going left and right, the easiest example I can give you is Michael Jordan. What he does to gain balance on these difficult shots is bend his knees inwards to create a balanced base. This prevents a lot of the sliding that tends to happen when you try to stop quickly while moving laterally. Then you have to work on picking the ball up off the dribble and placing it in your shot pocket (much like the way I described it in the first paragraph.) Next comes releasing the ball along your shot line.

The higher your vertical, the longer you can wait to release the ball, but usually you're going to want to release the ball on the way up so that momentum from your legs does not get lost (when you hold on to the ball too long you tend to hit the front of the rim)

Before we even discuss your pull up, do you hit 8-9 out of ten near the free throw line, elbows of freethrow lines, or a foot out from the free throw from stationary?

If you can't do that, then you need to forget pullup J and work on stationary shots first.

Reason is when you pull up for a jumpshot, other factors such as balance, vert, and your release all become more difficult, e.g. if you have a slow release than pull up J's are made more difficult because the amount of time you need to take in the air to let go of your shot...

I got a friend who has the worse looking shot ever, he jumps, slings the ball to his shoulder then let's it go, he almosts travels everytime he tries a pull up J, as a result he practically never makes them...

This was really helpful for me. Pounding the last dribble before your shot really makes it a lot faster.

Oh wow thanks, this video is really helpful. It takes a lot of getting used to, I still lose the ball or mess up the steps at times, but it feels much more natural and, more importantly, purposeful than before.

Great advice ITT. Thanks guys

And @steveming: I'm near automatic up until around 15 feet, very good up to 18 feet and streakier than JR smith from 18ft out. My FT percentage is 74% on 342 attempts (on seperate occassions, though). Me and my bro always track our FT's and shots when we practice together, which is easy to do, since we have a court at home.

those who are best at the pull up are the ones that are able to transfer their forward momentum quickly into their vertical leap. in order to do this you must have total balance when you are shooting

this is probably why you think you are better shooting fadeaways. As much as i can preach to you about always jumping with your feet and shoulders square, some people are just better shooting that shot than a regular pull up. If that is the case, i would say you have stronger muscle memory on your fadeaway because you use it more and that you need to work on developing that with your pull up

no frills, you just need to practice it. Granted, you must get the footwork down, but its easy, you just have to take it really slow , but most people don't want to do that for some reason, like it's beneath them to do that or something, i dont really know.

Anyways here is a sample workout that I do, and most my players do.

1) 1 dribble pull ups to the left off the catch (planting right-left)

2) " " right off the catch (planting left-right)

3) same thing as 1 and 2, but 2 dribble pull ups

4) start at half court and use a chair or something and dribble up normal then make a hesitation move or crossover, then immediately afterwards, a 1 dribble pullup. Then do the same with 2 dribbles.

You can do this from all over the court I usually do it from 5 spots (corner, elbow extended on both sides, top of the key) but you can do it with 7 as well (in between corner and elbow extended)

I usually do this (when I have time) to work out any hitches in my jumper. First I try to make 5, then once I make 5 I will take 10 shots and record my score. If I get lower than 5 i go again.